


we are for each other

by kingdomchain



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 08:30:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18824971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingdomchain/pseuds/kingdomchain
Summary: The space between Sora and Kairi is just enough for one more person.(Addition to the paopu scene in KH3.)





	we are for each other

**Author's Note:**

> Me, watching the paopu scene: "This is really cute and all but why are you leaving Riku out? He's right there! Go bring him over!" And so, with the power of fanfiction, I did.
> 
> Title from e e cummings' "since feeling is first".

The air is pleasantly warm and smells like home, the paopu is heavy in Sora's hand, and the space between him and Kairi is too big. 

He looks at Riku sitting off by himself on the sand. Looks at the space next to Kairi on their tree. “This is dumb,” he says. Oops. That wasn’t supposed to be out loud. “N-not the paopu! I’m glad we shared them! I want to be a part of your life no matter what.. too...” He trails off into a pout. “What’re you laughing at?”

“You, silly.” Kairi takes another bite out of her paopu, giggling. She, too, looks at Riku and at the perfectly person-sized gap between them and frowns in thought, then shakes her head, determination lighting in her eyes. “You’re right.” She cups her empty hand to her mouth and calls out, “Riku! Get your butt over here!”

Riku looks at them. He’s not so far away that Sora doesn’t notice the way he looks at them, then at each of the paopu fruits in their hands, then smiles. He shakes his head and waves as if shooing them away.

Sora and Kairi exchange glances and shrug, both deciding that they’ve given their friend enough time alone. Sora jumps off the tree first and helps Kairi down, just because he can and the extra flourish makes her smile, and together they run up to Riku.

“Hi,” Sora says, plopping down on Riku’s left. The thought crosses his mind to take off his shoes and more fully enjoy the warm sand on his feet. He’s missed this. (He hates that tomorrow they’ll have to leave to go fighting again. He wishes it was over already and everyone was safe and where they belonged and he could _rest_ –)

“Hi,” Riku says dryly. “Careful with that. I don’t think it’ll taste good with sand.”

Sora looks at the paopu in his hands. His careless flop must have kicked some sand up, and somehow he managed to get the fruit caught in the crossfire. “Oh, no!” he cries, and hastily wipes off as much sand as he can. Most of the fruit is fine, the sand coming right off its smooth skin, but enough of its juice came out from where Sora bit into it that he gets his hands rather thoroughly sticky cleaning off what did stay.

Over on Riku’s right, Kairi giggles. Sora pouts at her. So he got a little excited, okay? A little sand never hurt anybody. And who’s to say some of that sand isn’t from her, anyhow?

“Watcha doin’?” Kairi asks.

Riku shrugs, looking back out at the ocean. “Thinking,” he says. “What are you two doing?"

“Coming to say hi,” Kairi says. Her tone says, _duh_. “I think you’ve been thinking long enough.”

Riku smiles. Up close, Sora can see that it’s as genuine as it looked from afar, and that there’s a sadness to it that doesn't belong. Riku may think that he’s good at hiding these things, but Sora is one of his best friends and there’s no way he wouldn’t notice. “Don’t tell me you managed to ruin the moment, Sora.”

Man, what’s with everyone ganging up on him lately? “Did not,” Sora says. “Don’t be mean, you jerk. I’m not the one moping around by myself.”

“I’m not moping,” Riku replies. Once upon a time it would have been defensive and a blatant lie. Now, he sounds honestly content. “I’m okay, really. Don’t worry about me.” 

But he’s Not Looking at the paopu fruits that Sora and Kairi each hold. Pointedly, like it hurts to acknowledge them. Sora can just imagine what Riku is thinking. It’s got to be something self-sacrificing and dumb, like how happy he is for them, with no acknowledgment of his hurt.

It’s the kind of thought Sora isn’t going to let be. He’s thought so much about coming home to Kairi, about _staying_ with Kairi when the fighting is finally over and the universe and everyone in it is whole and safe, and the thing is, Riku is always there too. He has to be. No matter how far apart their adventures take the three of them, they have to end up together again, or else what’s the point? And so what if Riku is a keyblade master now and Sora isn’t; that means nothing at all to how Sora would do anything to keep him safe, just as he would for Kairi.

It's that simple. It all comes down to this: He loves Kairi and Riku both.

So it’s the most natural thing in the world to hold out his paopu, one of its uneaten corners pointed at Riku, and say, “Here.”

Riku leans back. “I’m not eating your sand,” he says.

“I cleaned it off, okay!”

Riku turn away. His complaint of “gross,” is cut off by Kairi shoving her paopu at him. She’s more aggressive about it than she was with Sora: she sticks the fruit right in Riku’s mouth.

“Ha,” she says.

Riku makes a protest garbled by a mouthful of fruit. He chews, swallows, and wipes the back of his thumb across his mouth. “You don’t need to do that. You know I’ll always be there for you guys.”

“You weren't there with us _now_ ,” Sora says. It doesn’t matter that he wasn’t really all that far away. In that moment, tying his fate to Kairi, Sora couldn’t help but think about what was missing. It would make him feel guilty if not for how quickly Kairi had agreed, the way she watches them now. How perfectly they slot together like this, the trio balanced together. It feels whole.

He holds up the paopu again and holds his breath.

Riku sighs and takes a small bite.

 _Good_ , thinks the greedy part of Sora’s heart. _Now neither of them can ever leave me._ He catches the same thought reflected on Kairi’s face. She and Riku look at each other for a moment, having a silent conversation that Sora isn’t part of. Kairi must win, because all at once Riku relaxes, accepting his fate.

The smile on his face doesn’t hurt to look at any more.

Sora lets out a contented sigh of his own. There’s so many things to worry about for tomorrow, but for now all that matters is Kairi’s hand in his and Riku between them, and the lingering sweetness of paopu on his tongue. It’ll be okay, he tells himself. He smiles _(this ship runs on happy faces)_ and shuts out every bit of insecurity and fear in his heart. They’re going to defeat Xehanort and get back everyone who they haven’t been able to save yet, and everyone is going to be safe and happy and whole.

He’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that.

**Author's Note:**

> *looks at username* I can't believe it took me this long to write KH fic.


End file.
